Shoe



K. A. STRITTER 2,205,963

June 25, W

sacs

Filed Oct. 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 K. A. STRITTER saoz Filed Oct. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 25, 1940 UNITE srrss PATENT OFFiCE Claims.

This invention relates to shoemaking and consists in a novel and ornamental vamp. In one aspect the present invention constitutes an improvement upon the construction of Vamps disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,713,307, issued May 14, 1929, although it has a more general application.

In the patent above referred to I have disclosed a vamp provided with interwoven straps presenting an ornamental appearance. In general my previous invention has proved satisfactory, but it falls short in one respect arising from the procedure used in putting together the finished vamp. In Vamps made according to my prior patent a piece containing transverse straps is sewn over the top of a piece having longitudinal straps with free ends. The appearance of the shoe so made is somewhat impaired by the exposed edge of the overlying pieces containing the transverse straps, the edge forming a definite ridge on the upper surface of the vamp. The most important object of the present invention is to provide a vamp having the ornamental appearance of the interwoven straps but avoiding the formation of a ridge across the outer surface thereof. To secure the result desired I have reversed the location of the transverse and longitudinal straps. That is to say, according to the present invention I cut the transverse straps in the main vamp piece rather than in an overlying piece and thus secure a new result, viz. an ornamental vamp which is perfectly smooth across its upper surface as well as in its lower surface. Further, the vamp presents, in the finished shoe, a throat edge which is intact and is therefore stronger and more likely to retain its shape in wear than a vamp having a severed throat edge.

An important feature of the invention resides in a novel and ornamental binding for an open toe, wherein the material of the underlying piece containing the longitudinal straps is extended to form a binding about the open toe.

These and other features of my invention will be more readily understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5 are top plan views showing the progressive steps in the formation of a vamp according to my invention, and

Figs. 3 and 6 are bottom plan views.

As shown in Fig. 1, the first step is to cut out a doubler or lining element In in the general shape of a vamp. The doubler may be of fabric,

leather, or any suitable flexible material. Ce-

mented to the doubler ill in face to face relation is a piece of upper leather l2 cut into heart shape and provided with a forked toe portion or forward extension Id. The forked toe portion It provides for a novel and ornamental open toe as: will later be explained. The doubler it and the piece H. are then died out as shown in Fig. 2-to form a plurality of longitudinal straps l6 having free ends at the throat portion of the vamp and extending forwardly therefrom,

A piece of upper leather i8 is then cut into the form of a vamp with a tongue 28 and a recessed portion 22 at the toe, all as shownin Fig. 3. To the piece l 8 is cemented in face to face relation a heart-shaped piece 24 of reinforcing material, which may conveniently be formed of the same doubler material used for the piece it. The pieces l3 and 24 are died out after they have been united as shown in Fig. 4 to form a number of transverse straps 26. The straps 2%, which are formed by transverse cuts within the periphery of the vamp, have no free ends but are integral with the side portions of the piece I8. The pieces l8 and 24 in the condition shown in Fig. 4 are superposed upon the pieces !0 and I2 in the condition I shown in Fig. 2, and the two are stitched together by a line of stitching 28 which runs along the bases of the longitudinal straps i6 and the transverse straps 26. The toe portion I 3 of the piece 52 extends partly into the recess 22 in the piece it and the; material of the portion l lis exposed to view as shown in Fig. 5. The toe portions are secured together by lines of stitching 3%.

After the pieces i8, 24, Ill, and I2 have been sewn together, the longitudinal straps it are woven in and out of the transverse straps 26 and the free ends of the straps l6 are then anchored by a line of stitching 32 which runs along the rear edge of the vamp. The exactmanner in which the ends of the straps iii .are anchored is not important, they may be cemented down, or sewn to a skeleton lining running along the rear margin of the vamp. The toe portion of the lining or doubler piece Ill is cut away as shown in Fig. 6 so that when the vamp is incorporated in a shoe it Will provide an open toe bounded by the toe portion I4 of the piece l2. The pieces l8 and I2 may conveniently be of contrasting color so that in the finished shoe the longitudinal finished straps l6 and the toe portion M will be of one color while all the rest of a vamp will be another color.

It will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 5 that the upper surface of the vamp is smooth and that there is no ridge formed by the edge of an overlying piece, since the transverse straps 26 are integral with the side portions of the piece [8. Due to the fact that the doubler I is coincident with the area of the piece [8 there is no ridge in the underneath surface of the vamp excepting for a very slight elevation representing the thickness and area of the piece I2 where it is held between the outer piece l8 and the doubler l0.

Although I prefer to use a doubler in order to economize on leather, it is perfectly feasible to dispense with it, and in this case the piece l2 which is of upper leather is cut to the shape of a full vamp. That is to say, it would have the shape of the piece If]. It should also be pointed out that although the embodiment shown in the drawings discloses considerable space between the interstices of the straps, it is perfectly possible to construct a vamp by merely slitting the pieces l8 and 12 without taking out any material. This will result in a more closely interwoven vamp.

It is not necessary to stitch together the pieces making up the completed vamp, since all the pieces can be united with a suitable adhesive. Furthermore in place of a binding around an open toe, the piece l8 may be cut out or perforated in any desired locations in order to expose the material of the piece l2.

It will now be apparent that I have invented a novel and ornamental vamp. It should further be noted that the practice of my invention results in a ventilated vamp, since air can easily enter the shoe through the interstices between the interwoven straps. Therefore, my invention comprises an improved vamp which is useful as well as ornamental.

Having now described and illustrated my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A shoe upper construction comprising a vamp of upper material with transverse cuts extending within its periphery and defining a plurality of transverse straps, and a piece of material secured to the inner face of the vamp and having the shape of the central part thereof with cuts extending forwardly from its throat end and defining a plurality of longitudinal straps, said straps being woven through the transverse straps of the overlying vamp.

2. A shoe upper construction comprising a vamp of upper material with transverse cuts extending within its periphery and defining a plurality of transverse straps while leaving its throat edge intact, a piece of material secured to the inner face of the vamp and having the shape of the central part thereof with cuts extending forwardly from its throat end and defining a plurality of longitudinal straps, said straps being woven through the transverse straps of the overlying vamp, and a lining element secured beneath the bottom face of said piece of material by stitching passing through said piece and the vamp adjacent the ends of the transverse straps of said vamp.

3. In a shoe upper construction, a vamp of upper material formed with a recessed portion at its toe end and having transverse cuts extending within its periphery and defining a plurality of transverse straps, and a piece of material secured to the inner face of the vamp and having the shape of the central part thereof with cuts extending forwardly from its throat end and defining a plurality of longitudinal straps which are woven through the transverse straps of the vamp, said piece of material having a forward extension projecting beyond the recessed portion at the toe end of the vamp.

4. A shoe upper construction comprising a vamp of upper material with transverse cuts extending within its periphery and defining a plurality of transverse straps, a piece of material secured to the inner face of the vamp and having the shape of the central part thereof with cuts extending forwardly from its throat end to define a plurality of longitudinal straps, said straps being woven through the transverse straps of the overlying vamp, and a line of stitching running along the rear margin of the vamp and anchoring the rear ends of said lonigtudinal straps.

5. A shoe upper construction comprising a vamp of upper material an internal area of which is cut transversely to form a plurality of transverse straps, a first piece of material having the shape of the vamp and secured to the surface thereof in face to face relationship therewith, a second piece of material having the shape of the central portion of the vamp and disposed between the vamp and the first piece of material, both pieces of material being cut forwardly from the throat end to form a plurality of longitudinal straps, said longitudinal straps being .woven through the transverse straps of the overlying vamp, and stitching uniting the vamp and the two pieces of material around the margin of the area of the interwoven straps.

KARL A. S'IRITTER. 

